8.H. Workshop: Health equity and Chronic diseases: Public health and Primary care roles

Abstract   Publicly funded health systems are based on the principle of universal access to care. However, significant gaps still exist between services needed and services received (i.e. unmet need for healthcare), especially in chronic disease management and prevention, particularly affecting marginalized groups in the society. Public Health and Primary Care should be working in integrated systems, as they are crucial in addressing health needs in the community and population at large. Several international organizations and leading scholars in the field have been advocating for the integration or primary care and public health to improve population health as well as to tackle complex issues such as multimorbidity. However, these two sectors are still working in silos across several countries, with a significant negative impact in terms of efficiency of the services provided and health care costs. The aim of this workshop will be to provide a global perspective on the issue of health equity in chronic disease management and prevention, with focus on marginalized population subgroups, such as elderly, immigrants and people from low socioeconomic status. We will discuss as well the determinants of unmet health needs for access to primary care in middle-aged and older adults, and examine the reasons for unmet need. We will further discuss about the need and strategies for enhanced integration between public health and primary care in chronic disease management and prevention. Key messages • Public health systems are based on the principle of universal access to care. However, significant gaps still exist between services needed and services received (i.e. unmet need for healthcare). • Public Health and Primary Care should be working in integrated systems to tackle complex issues such as multimorbidity.

WP6 has approached the target of supporting trustworthy secondary use of health and health care data through two operational objectives: developing the EHDS data quality assurance framework for real-world health data and developing the EHDS secondary use Semantic Interoperability Framework. For the latter objective, several interoperability standards were identified in accordance with the EHDS2 data life cycle and user's journey approach, hence focusing on data discoverability (at data source and variable levels), communication support across nodes and on development of common data models. Selection was based on active participation of WP6 leaders in various pertinent workshops and interactive activities, both in the framework of TEHDAS (Stakeholder and Project Forum meetings) as well as other relevant initiatives (e.g. the PHIRI project). Input was also sought from Commission representatives and EU-level regulatory authorities. In a first step, standards were catalogued based of features such as typology of interest, utility and application domains. In the next phase we organised virtual semi-structured interviews with key representatives of over 20 standards (incl. HL7, SNOMED, CDISC, DCAT, OMOP etc.). The focus of the interviews targeted experiences in standards' actual use, challenges in their implementation, issues of maintenance and sustainability, as well as undergoing collaborations and developments. Sessions were recorded and subsequently the transcripts of discussion extracted automatically. The process of analysing interview materials is presently ongoing, using an adapted version of the Common Assessment Method for Standards and Specifications (CAMSS) v.4.0.0. toolkit. Interim results will be discussed within the Joint Action meeting activities in June 2022, to produce a version for wider stakeholder dialogue later in the fall. Results and recommendations generated through this process will also be presented for discussion with the workshop audience.
Publicly funded health systems are based on the principle of universal access to care. However, significant gaps still exist between services needed and services received (i.e. unmet need for healthcare), especially in chronic disease management and prevention, particularly affecting marginalized groups in the society. Public Health and Primary Care should be working in integrated systems, as they are crucial in addressing health needs in the community and population at large. Several international organizations and leading scholars in the field have been advocating for the integration or primary care and public health to improve population health as well as to tackle complex issues such as multimorbidity. However, these two sectors are still working in silos across several countries, with a significant negative impact in terms of efficiency of the services provided and health care costs. The aim of this workshop will be to provide a global perspective on the issue of health equity in chronic disease management and prevention, with focus on marginalized population subgroups, such as elderly, immigrants and people from low socioeconomic status. We will discuss as well the determinants of unmet health needs for access to primary care in middle-aged and older adults, and examine the reasons for unmet need. We will further discuss about the need and strategies for enhanced integration between public health and primary care in chronic disease management and prevention.

Key messages:
Public health systems are based on the principle of universal access to care. However, significant gaps still exist between services needed and services received (i.e. unmet need for healthcare).
Public Health and Primary Care should be working in integrated systems to tackle complex issues such as multimorbidity.
Abstract citation ID: ckac129.502 How life course socioeconomic conditions shape multimorbidity in old age -a scoping review